Presidential
Vehicles
Daily Activities at Presidential Vehicles
While there are no scheduled activities today, be sure to see our complete activities listing for upcoming offerings.
Presidential vehicles must provide visibility and security for the chief executive. The Henry Ford’s Presidential Vehicles exhibit traces the changing balance between a president’s need to be seen, and need to be safe. Included in this exhibit are the horse-drawn carriage used by Theodore Roosevelt and presidential parade cars that transported Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. The most prominent vehicle is the 1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine that John F. Kennedy was riding in when assassinated on November 22, 1963. The vehicle was rebuilt and used regularly by Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.
Highlights
Interactive Kiosk—Presidential Vehicles
Explore the Kennedy mystique
Interactive Kiosk—Presidential Vehicles
Learn why Kennedy’s limousine doesn’t look like the one in the famous news footage from November 22, 1963. Become a true insider in this one-of-a-kind interactive kiosk.
This interactive experience provides the backstory on President John Kennedy’s limo, along with images and videos on the Kennedy’s mystique and legacy.
1972 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine Used by Ronald Reagan
Artifact
Automobile
Date Made
1972
Summary
President Ronald Reagan was getting into this car when he was shot by John Hinckley on March 30, 1981. The car carried Reagan to the hospital. Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and George H.W. Bush also used this car. In 1982 the front sheet metal was updated, but since a 1982 grille no longer fit properly on the 1972 body, a 1979 grille was used.
Creators
Ford Motor Company. Lincoln-Mercury Division
Keywords
United States, District of Columbia, Washington
Lincoln Continental automobile
Object ID
92.104.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
1972 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine Used by Ronald Reagan
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine Used by John F. Kennedy
Artifact
Automobile
Date Made
1961
Summary
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in this car on November 22, 1963. The midnight blue, un-armored convertible was rebuilt with a permanent roof, titanium armor plating, and more somber black paint. The limousine returned to the White House and remained in service until 1977. The modified car shows the fundamental ways in which presidential security changed after Kennedy's death.
Keywords
United States, District of Columbia, Washington
Lincoln Continental automobile
Connally, Idanell B. (Idanell Brill), 1919-2006
Connally, John Bowden, 1917-1993
Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1994
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963
Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994
Object ID
78.4.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine Used by John F. Kennedy
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
1950 Lincoln Presidential Limousine Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Artifact
Automobile
Date Made
1950
Summary
This massive convertible Lincoln was built for President Harry S Truman in 1950, but it is most associated with Truman's successor Dwight D. Eisenhower, who used the car from 1952 until 1960. Eisenhower added the distinctive plastic "bubble top." Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson also used this car as a spare until its retirement in 1967.
Keywords
United States, District of Columbia, Washington
Lincoln Cosmopolitan automobile
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969
Object ID
67.74.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company, Lincoln-Mercury Division.
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
1950 Lincoln Presidential Limousine Used by Dwight D. Eisenhower
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
1939 Lincoln Presidential Limousine Used by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Artifact
Automobile
Date Made
1939
Summary
This was the first car built expressly for presidential use. It was nicknamed the "Sunshine Special" because President Franklin Roosevelt loved to ride in it with the top down. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 the car was returned to the factory where it was equipped with armor plate and bullet-resistant tires and gas tank. The "Sunshine Special" was retired in 1950.
Keywords
United States, District of Columbia, Washington
Object ID
50.11.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company, Lincoln-Mercury Division.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
1939 Lincoln Presidential Limousine Used by Franklin D. Roosevelt
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Theodore Roosevelt's Brougham, 1902
Artifact
Brougham (Carriage)
Date Made
1902
Summary
This elegant vehicle was used by President Theodore Roosevelt on official occasions. Though automobiles began to replace horse-drawn vehicles during the Taft administration, the White House housekeeping department continued using the brougham to haul groceries and run other errands. In 1928 a Ford Model A was acquired for that purpose and this carriage was retired.
Creators
Place of Creation
Object ID
32.372.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Theodore Roosevelt's Brougham, 1902
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Presidential Vehicles
Check out some of vehicles in which 20th century American presidents traveled. You'll see them first-hand when you visit our Presidential Vehicles exhibit in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.
President Reagan's Limo
On March 30, 1981, President Reagan sought refuge from would-be assassin John Hinckley, Jr.’s gunfire in this limo.
FDR's "Sunshine Special"
This 1939 Lincoln was the first car built specifically for presidential use.
Eisenhower's Convertible
This Lincoln was built in 1950 for President Truman, but Eisenhower added its distinctive "bubble top."
